Email Newsletter January

HAPPY NEW YEAR! Welcome 2019! Please know that you are in my prayers for this New Year and I ask that the Lord shed His grace upon you. As usual, the month of January keeps our parish busy with many activities and events. Be sure to visit the parish website www.st-raphaels.com for more details.

Fr. Tim SHERWOOD

Holy Day of Obligation

Tuesday, January 1st is a Holy Day of Obligation. Mass will by celebrated on Monday, December 31st at 5:30pm and Tuesday, January 1st at 9:30am and 7pm. There will be no 8am Mass on Tuesday, January 1st.

Sunday Faith Formation Returns

After a few weeks off, our Sunday Faith Formation program returns following the 9:30am Mass on Sunday, January 6th, 2019. There will also be a session for families who have a child receiving First Holy Communion. The sessions are on Tuesday, January 8th OR on Monday, January 14th. Both sessions are in the Parish Hall starting at 6:30pm.

Grief Support

You are invited to join a five week support group called "Grieving with Great Hope." The sessions run every Thursday night starting January 10th through February 14th, 7pm to 8:30pm, in Room B (St. Joseph Room) in the Church building. Please contact Carol Irwin at 813-335-6799 to sign up or for more information.

Confirmation 2019

Once again we welcome Bishop Gregory Parkes who will celebrate the Sacrament of Confirmation on Sunday, January 13th at the 11:30am Mass. You are welcome to join the 40 individuals and their families as they share in this great Sacrament of Initiation. Replacing Coffee and Donuts that day will be a reception in the Parish Hall immediately following the Mass.

Bible Study and Faith Circles Return

Morning and Evening sessions of Bible Study resume on Wednesday, January 9th and Faith Circles will resume the week of January 14th. Details of the groups can be found on the Faith Circles website. Start the New Year off by taking about an hour each week to grow in faith with your fellow parishioners.

Our Faith Community Nurses will be available in the Parish Hall following Mass (except 5:30pm) the weekend of January 19th & 20th to help answer health related questions and offer blood pressure screenings. Start the New Year off right by checking your blood pressure and getting some tips for healthy habits!

Knights of Columbus

Beginning this year, the Knights are moving their Pancake Breakfast to the 3rd weekends of the month! Join the Knights in the New Year for a Pancake Breakfast on Sunday, January 20th in the Parish Center following the 8am and 9:30am Masses.

Blood Drive

The OneBlood bus will be here on Sunday, January 20th from 9:00am to 1:00pm. To schedule an appointment go to www.oneblood.org and use our sponsor code 06497. Roll up your sleeve and help the many people who depend on blood donors like you!

January 21st - Martin Luther King Jr. Day

St. Raphael School and Parish Office are closed Monday, January 21, 2019 to honor the sacrifices and humanitarian works toward racial harmony of Dr. Martin Luther King. Normal schedules resume on Tuesday, January 22nd.

CCW Annual Rummage Sale!

How can January pass us by without the annual CCW Rummage Sale? The sale will be held on Saturday January 26th from 8am until 1:00pm in the Parish Center. This event is one of the largest in the area. Come support the CCW and find some great treasures! Donations can be dropped off Monday January 21st from 10am-2pm, Tuesday, January 22nd through Friday, January 25th from 3:30pm until 6:00pm in the Parish Center. Watch the bulletin for more details.

Catholic Schools Week

Catholic Schools Week across the nation begins Sunday, January 27th and continues through Friday February 1st. Join us at the Open House on Sunday, January 27th following the 9:30am Mass. For more details about Catholic Schools Week and events, visit the school website .

We have recently added an "audiofetch" hearing assistance system to the church. Although hearing aids with Bluetooth technology is relatively new in the hearing aid field, the audiofetch system is designed to work with them through an Apple or Android smartphone app. The system is linked with parts of the church sound system.

How to use it:

Link your Bluetooth hearing aid to your smartphone.

Download the audiofetch app.

Use your Wi-Fi to find audiofetch in the church.

Place your phone in airplane mode or do not disturb mode to avoid noice distractions.

If you have difficulty setting it up, please contact the Parish Office, 821-7989, and we will have someone who has used the system contact you.

Just a reminder to check out FORMED.ORG offering a variety of Catholic content including books, movies, scripture study, educational videos and more. Our parish access code is 3951db.